Page 32 of Jael

“Is this whole thing engineered to make me marry him? Because it won’t work. I’m not going to marry Christopher, even though that’s what everyone seems to think. You should be more careful about spreading rumors.”

“Trust me, Jael, if I want you to marry him, I’ll make it happen.”

“I can’t believe you said that. I’ve been old enough to make my own decisions for many years. You don’t think I should have a say in who I marry?”

“Not with the way you’ve been making decisions lately. And I won’t be around forever. I have to look after my girl. It’s for your own good.”

“Why? Because he’s the most convenient suitor?”

“Convenient? You think that’s why I chose him for you? He’s the whole package, and you could see that for yourself if you weren’t so busy rejecting him just to spite me. Get your head out of the sand and open your eyes. He’s the best you’ll ever get.”

“And if I don’t agree?”

“It’s about time you start being responsible for once. You’re so focused on yourself and what you want that you’ve put everything and everyone else behind you.”

She took a deep, tremored breath. “It has nothing to do with spite or ignoring my duties. I won’t marry someone as a business decision. Especially someone like Christopher Sisera.”

Gregory’s face reddened. “That’s no surprise. You’ve never done anything I’ve wanted.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose, wondering if he really had no clue at all. “Dad?—”

“Do whatever you want, but don’t come crying to me when the funds dry up for your pet project. If you want to keep the money rolling in, you’re going to have to keep Christopher happy, and the best way to do that is to become his wife. Now, I’ve got things do to. I expect you at dinner tonight. I’ve invited Danny.”

“Of course you did.”

“He’s a good and faithful friend, and you will be courteous to him. And don’t tell me you have other plans.”

She didn’t have the energy to deny him, and he’d already made it clear that she wouldn’t get what she wanted from anyone but Christopher. But she didn’t have the patience to face him now. He’d be at dinner. She’d make sure she was ready by then. “Sure. Whatever.”

“Great. I’ll see you at seven.”

She didn’t let her face fall until she turned away from her dad, and her shoulders didn’t sag until his car had left the garage.

So far, her encounters with Christopher gave the impression he was willing to help her foundation, but if it was connected to an expectation that they would be married soon, she’d need to find a way to convince him that marriage was not in their best interest, which shouldn’t be difficult. She couldn’t possibly be his first pick for a wife. It was more likely he was going along with the plan. But once he understood he was off the hook as far as she was concerned, they could both move forward.

Chapter 9

Danny continued following Jael,although his reasons for doing so were varied and shifted continually. Working for Deborah, his job was to regain the trust of both Gregory and Jael. Not an easy thing to do under the circumstances. But his report to Gregory wouldn’t have substance beyond vague conjecture, and Danny hoped it would be enough to give him room to keep searching. But what he was searching for, he wasn’t quite sure yet.

When he’d first begun tailing her, he hadn’t been discreet. He’d wanted her to find him. Or at least he’d hoped she would. He was pleased to find she was as sharp as ever. He’d do what he had to in order to keep DeborahandGregory happy, but it was Jael he was the most concerned about. It was half the reason he’d agreed to do the job in the first place. From the beginning, it had been his intention to find another way to bring the Siseras down.

His phone pinged with an email, and he opened it to find a detailed timeline for the building project back in Kenya. Besides Jael, the boys back home were the real reason he was doing this, and he couldn’t lose sight of that. Once this assignmentwas finished, he’d go back to brand new opportunities with Adisa beside him. He pushed away the homesickness that was creeping in.

“God, I don’t want to go back if I’ve left this place a mess. I need help here. Show me what to do.”

He rang Deborah, and she picked up on the second ring. “Danny, it’s good to hear from you.”

“I know how you like your regular updates.”

“I take it everything is running smoothly?”

“You know how it is with these things. Always a tangled web.”

“But you’ll be able to untangle it.”

“You know untangling is never an option. It’s more about choosing the right thread to follow.”

“I like that analogy. I’m going to steal it.”

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